If they left them in, it would have been a fun challenge to minimise them.
https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/9/4316222/simcity-lead-desig...
The second game adds parking lots of various sizes, parking structures both underground and above ground, etc. But it also encourages you to build alternative public transportation like buses, trolleys, trains, metros, etc. (Sadly no bicycles in the 2nd game yet).
The CiM games were all about public transit, cars played a supporting role at best. IMHO, they’re the best transit games ever made.
In C:S, it’s the other way around: managing car traffic is imperative (to the point that many recommend micromanaging intersections with mods such as TM:PE), and transit takes the supporting role (although it’s still a lot of fun).